Why we went our separate ways

Friday, 25 June 2010 00:59

Wide locks and double locks

So we continued to descend the short and wide Calder and Hebble Locks on our own.

The narrowboat ahead of us was nowhere in sight as we passed through the Greenhill section of the navigation. First we went through Green Hill Flood Gates. One gate was shut - which meant some judicious use of the throttle and a long blast on the horn to avoid a collision with the gates or on-coming boat!

Greenhill Flood Gates

There are permanent moorings beyond here and this dutch barge is one of the craft we might have encountered at an awkward place!

Dutch barge

After passing through Greenhill Lock, which has awkward lock landings both above and below, we approached the Thornhill Lees area which was once a meeting of rail and canal. The power station and the large Thornhill railway junction is no more but evidence remains in the form of old rail bridges and wharfs.

The weir with rail bridge beyond and flood lock to right

This elegant bridge (built in 1847) is also a rail bridge and the old wharfs are beyond - for more about "power on the River Calder": clickety click

At Thornhill there are double locks with an almost round pound between them. Below the locks is the arm that leads to Dewsbury and the basin at Saville Town.

Round pound between Thornhill Locks

At Mill Bank Lock the 52 foot narrowboat ahead of us was waiting for us - they had decided to try sharing. We fitted in, just, but damaged our paintwork on the bows, so despite their good intentions we decided to give sharing a miss again!

So finally for today we had two more locks ahead of us. No one has been able to figure out why the Figure of Three Locks are so named. Various theories abound! One is that there are two locks on the Navigation and a disused one down to the river. Another idea is that the River Calder forms a figure of three here! Whatever the theory BW were determined to make it difficult to negotiate the entrance to the top lock.

BW work boat on lock landing

So we moored alongside and suddenly lots of narrowboats appeared. Two from behind us and as we get into the second lock, one from below! We were told by the "locals" that the pound was silted up on the towpath side, so I gave it a wide berth!

Once down, we proceeded to Horbury Bridge and the moorings just beyond the bridge. We had had enough for the day and watched the boats pass us as we relaxed with our usual tea and cake!

Calder and Hebble Navigation, Cooper Bridge to Horbury Bridge

7.66 miles, 4 hours 57 minutes, 9 locks